In some ways February is a bit of a curious month. With many runners targeting a spring Half Marathon or Marathon (or for some much, much further), they tend to treat the races they take part in during February as ‘hard training runs’, or maybe their performances are compromised by being in heavy training. Hence gauging the ‘value’ of a performance is not as always as straightforward as in other months. Apologies if anyone’s ‘full gas’ efforts have been overlooked as mere ‘training runs’ – see it perhaps as a back handed compliment.
First off with the nominees is Matthew Kingston-Lee, who treated the Leicestershire Half Marathon as something of a ‘training run’ but was nonetheless rewarded with a top ten finish and first V40 runner. At the same race, Edina Burns, Russell Love, Yvette Taylor, Tracy Webb and Kate Marshall all ran personal bests and were nominated for MotM as a result. Meanwhile down in the ‘Big Smoke’ Sam Dodwell was nominated for his PB at the London Winter 10K.
Peter Bonner was nominated for his top 10 finish at the Rauceby Ripper. Another nominated for a strong finishing position was Stefan Latter, who was third and first V40 finisher at the Let’s Go Round Again 5K at Holme Pierrepont. Ian Williams also clocked a speedy ‘5K’ 😉: his 16:49 at Belton House parkrun was the fastest by a GRC runner at that venue.
The runner-up for MOM was Darren Harley, who, it is safe to say, races infrequently, yet put in two fine performances in February – first at the Charnwood Hill Race then at the Stamford 30K, where his sub 2:20 clocking turned a few heads in recognition of a strong run.
The winner of February’s Member of the Month is Caroline Davis. She also ran well at the Stamford 30K clocking a time nearly six minutes quicker than her PB as part of her marathon preparations. This was backed up with a good showing at the Nottingham 5K Winter Series where she was just 10 seconds outside her PB. Looking at March already her good form has continued with a big parkrun PB and a pair of fine 20 mile races at Oundle and Ashby.
Congratulations to Caroline on being the February 2019 GRC Member of the Month!